1. Field of Art
The disclosure generally relates to the field of user interfaces for authentication on electronic devices.
2. Description of Art
It is often desirable to authenticate a user of a computing device, e.g., a mobile computing device. Many computing devices perform this authentication by requiring the user to enter a password before being able to use the device or access information in the device. This protects sensitive data in the device from being accessed by an unauthorized person (e.g., someone who steals the device). In many computing devices, a password is required after a period of inactivity on the device. For example, if a user has not pressed any buttons on the device for five minutes, the user is prompted for a password the next time the user attempts to use the device. This period of inactivity is referred to as a timeout.
The timeout length can be set to balance convenience and security. A very short timeout length, such as 1 minute, may excessively inconvenience the user, since the user will need to re-enter the password even if the device is left idle for a short time. A very long timeout length, such as 1 hour, may not provide enough security, making it more likely that an unauthorized user will be able to access the device without entering a password. An appropriately chosen timeout length can improve security and lessen the inconvenience of the user.
There is lacking, inter alia, a system and method to choose an appropriate timeout length for authenticating a user of a computing device that balances security and convenience.